Artist Statement

Pen Guy Artist Statement

My art is inspired by the beauty of every day objects that are thrown away and discarded such as pens. I looked around me and discovered an untapped and forgotten resource that has permeated our society, the mighty PEN. Pens of every kind serve a very important role in our world and play a huge part in our daily lives. Yet when they are empty we are quick to discard them, adding them to massive piles of stuff we call “land fill”.

In 2003 I was inspired by a book called “Art Cars” by Harrod Blank in which artists from around the world decorate their cars with all manner of found objects and paint. The seed of desire to do the same was planted in my heart. In 2005 I woke up one day and the idea to glue discarded pens to my car came to me and thus begin my journey.

I started out by covering my 81 Mercedes Benz 300SD, in over 10,000 pens which enabled me to go places and be seen all over the world. I spent the last 10 years collecting pens locally and from all over the world and figuring out the best way to display them.

After the car was completed I started making my art more available to the public by creating works of art that could be displayed in galleries and public places. I generally try to use found objects and discarded materials as canvas for my art, however I do use virgin wood as well.

My methods are simple: Get in a playful creative state, find a surface that needs to be covered in pens and work fast, have fun and repeat. My ultimate intention in my work is to inspire awe, wonder, joy and the ultimate prize…uncontrollable laughter.